Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge Looking to Turn Progress Into a Strong Result for the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R
LAKEVILLE, Connecticut (July 15, 2021) – Team Hardpoint EBM is ready to take on the “bull ring” at Lime Rock Park on Saturday, July 17, for round six of the 12-race IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) calendar. Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge will co-drive the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R in the two-hour, 40-minute race.
The Northeast Grand Prix begins at 3:05 p.m. EDT on Saturday, and can be seen live via TrackPass on the NBC Sports app. It will air on NBCSN for cable and satellite subscribers later that same day, beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT.
This week’s two-day event, which features practice and qualifying on Friday, features only the GT LeMans (GTLM) and GTD classes at the short, historic 1.5-mile track.
Strategy is likely to play a role in the race, where lap times for the GTD class in 2019 fell under 52 seconds per lap. Because of that, pit stops and strategy place a premium on the team aspect of this week’s endurance race.
“We made more gains at both of the Watkins Glen events but left feeling like we still haven’t shown the fans and the rest of the grid what we’re capable of,” Ferriol said. “We have made significant strides this year as a team, but that doesn’t change the fact GTD is a very competitive class where we have to capitalize in every area that we can on race day. At Lime Rock, a small mistake on track or in pit lane can put you behind the leader on track and given that only the GT classes are here, it can present less yellows in the race. Keeping the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R in good condition to the end of the race is always a priority but Lime Rock is as much of an elbow fight as Long Beach. It’s going to be a hard fight from the beginning, but we’re ready.”
The Lime Rock round provides an opportunity for the No. 88 team, as well as Legge and Ferriol, to improve in the team and driver’s full-season and Sprint Cup point race. This week’s race will also aid Ferriol’s hunt for the Bob Akin award, where he currently sits second in the season-long point battle.
Legge is searching for her first podium finish at Lime Rock, but had back-to-back top-five finishes in 2017 and 2018. Those finishes gave her some insight to the challenges that Lime Rock Park presents.
“Lime rock is a very unique race on the IMSA WeatherTech calendar,” Legge said. “It poses different challenges in many ways. With such a short lap, strategy is key, and so is track position. They call it the bull ring because you never stop fighting, with your own car and the others! I’m hoping the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R will perform well here, and am excited to keep making gains with the team.”
The two-day event begins with a pair of one-hour practice sessions on Friday, with qualifying at 5:15 p.m. EDT that evening. Saturday’s Northeast Grand Prix begins at 3:10 p.m. EDT, with the checkered flag scheduled to fly at 5:50 p.m. EDT.
About Team Hardpoint EBM:
Hardpoint Motorsports was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Team Hardpoint EBM is a joint venture between Team Hardpoint and Earl Bamber Motorsport formed in late 2020 to utilize the resources of EBM and co-owners Earl Bamber and Will Bamber and the early success of Team Hardpoint. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team’s 2021 plans include a full-season effort in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a multi-car effort in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America. More information on Team Hardpoint EBM can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
